By Prakash Shesh, PGP 1974

Reviewed by Vijay Toley, PGP 1977

There’s a quiet joy in reading a book written by an old friend, whose first book, In and Out of the Box, many of us read with delight and underlined heavily in margins, now faded with time. His new work, Delightfully Different Thinking, is no mere sequel — it’s a gentle, incisive, and deeply human companion to the second half of life: one that speaks to us with accumulated years of his wisdom and our enduring hunger to satiate our curiosity.

Prakash writes like he speaks — unhurried, unguarded, and unmistakably himself. There’s no academic posturing, no jargon-laden scaffolding — just clear, rhythmic prose laced with self-deprecating humour (“I am a senior citizen… full of contradictions like any normal person”) and quiet moral authority. His voice is that of the thoughtful elder who’s earned the right to question — not to provoke, but to illuminate.

What stands out is his rhetorical generosity: he invites disagreement without defensiveness (“disagreement is not enmity”), treats sacred cows with intellectual curiosity rather than irreverence, and balances scientific rigour with cultural empathy. When he dissects the logic of pradakshina, the physics of puffing pooris, or the psychology of superstition across nations, he does so not to dismiss tradition — but to deepen understanding. His style is distinctly IIMA: analytical yet humane, structured yet conversational, confident without arrogance — and always anchored in lived experience.

The book’s architecture reflects Prakash’s lifelong commitment to thinking as practice — not performance. Its sections are deliberately non-linear (“you can read from anywhere to anywhere”), mirroring how wisdom actually accrues: in fragments, flashes, and returns.

• “Wisdom Nuggets” offer distilled reflections — on dreaming right instead of dreaming big, managing parental “irrelevance”, learning from the young, and cultivating minimalism. These resonate powerfully with people navigating retirement, grandparenthood, or mentorship roles — offering neither platitudes nor prescriptions, but invitations to reframe.
• Thirty-seven write-ups and 150+ “Curiosity Questions”, grouped under evocative headings like Eureka, Power of Analysis, and Are We the Most Intelligent Species?, are the book’s playful, provocative spine. They range from “Why do we say ‘God bless you’ after a sneeze?” to “Do prayers work?” or “Are citizens of developed nations less superstitious?”— each answered with equal parts empirical grounding (citing Templeton Foundation studies, Galton’s monarch research) and philosophical nuance. This is precisely what our IIMA training taught us to value: questioning assumptions, examining evidence, and holding complexity without rushing to closure.
• The “Enchanting Stories” — like Meeting One’s Waterloo (a hilarious, humbling Rotary anecdote) or Anything for Uncle Sam (a visceral, Mumbai-local tale of visa-line desperation) — remind us that wisdom isn’t extracted from life — it’s woven through it, stitch by stitch, often in moments of embarrassment, compassion, or quiet awe.

Crucially, Prakash never separates the personal from the philosophical. His reflections on losing his mother, his sons’ achievements, or his rationalist convictions aren’t biographical footnotes — they’re epistemological anchors. This makes the book feel authentically IIMA: where theory meets terrain, and where intellect is always in dialogue with heart.

I believe that this Book Belongs in every IIMA Alumnus’s Library

Delightfully Different Thinking doesn’t offer mere answers — it rekindles the habit of asking better questions. And in a world increasingly loud with certainty, that may be the most radical, generous, and distinctly IIMA gift of all.

About The Author

Prakash Shesh worked with Tata International for a decade before establishing his own business in Nagpur, where he emerged as one of Central India’s leading distributors of telecom equipment. Over the years, he also built a strong reputation as a management trainer, counsellor, and public speaker.

A pioneer in administering online psychometric assessments for vocational and career guidance, he continues to mentor individuals on personal and professional development. He served as District Governor of Rotary International District 3030 in 2002 and has addressed numerous public gatherings through his thought-provoking and often humorous talks.

Proficient in English, Hindi, and Marathi, Prakash has written more than 300 articles for leading newspapers and magazines, including The Times of India, The Economic Times, and Rotary News. Now retired, he devotes his time to writing, speaking, music, and reflective inquiry.

He also runs two popular YouTube channels — Delightful Thinking and Delightful Singing. Delightfully Different Thinking, reviewed here, is his second book.